In geology, "landslides" are referred to as mass wasting. There are many specific types of mass wasting including mudflows, debris flows, earth flows, rock falls, debris falls, rock slides, debris slides, lahars, avalanches, solifluction, slump, and creep.

This small landslide occurred on a mostly non-vegetated, moderately steep creek bank (just off to the right of the picture). The creek cut consists of weathered shales and some thin limestone beds of the Upper Ordovician Waynesville Formation. Waynesville shales are famous for weathering into soft, clayey "butter beds". Landslides are more likely to occur on slopes having such materials.